Northwestern Benin Research Articles

Digitalization of cotton farming in the municipality of Banikoara in Northwestern Benin

The widespread use of mobile telephony and the internet constitutes an asset for digitalization in the agricultural sectors in Africa. Cotton being the leading export crop in Benin, this study aims to understand the determinants of the adoption of digitalization (use of digital machines, membership of a social network for information exchange, use of a mobile money account) by cotton producers in the municipality of Banikoara. In this context, a socio-economic survey was carried out with a sample of 314 producers, obtained by purposive sampling. The binary logistic regression method made it possible to identify the factors affecting the adoption of digitalization. Thus, the level of banking, the use of labor, the area of cotton sown and knowledge of agricultural information and exchange platforms had a significant impact on the use of digital machines in agriculture. Membership of a social network for information exchange between producers was influenced by the level of banking, the type of cotton grown, the strengthening of relationships with others, the risk linked to the use of digitalization and the assessment of the level of security of digitization by the producers. Finally, the level of banking, the exercise of a secondary activity and the use of labor were the significant variables in the adoption of mobile money by cotton farmers in Banikoara. However, the use of more advanced technologies such as drones and sensors was not yet a reality for these producers. This information is very useful for any project to popularize and promote these new technologies in the modernization of agriculture.

Masculinities in context: how food insecurity shapes conjugal dynamics in northwestern Benin

ABSTRACT Further place-based empirical research on food insecurity and masculinities is necessary, particularly in West Africa, where notions of agrarian masculinity remain entrenched and rigid gender norms dictate the division of labour and household organization. Responding to the calls for more empirical research at this nexus in rural Africa, we draw on focus group and interview data collected in the Atacora region of Benin. We find that men’s identities as household breadwinners are being undermined by worsening food insecurity, which is contributing to growing inequality in the gendered division of labour. The result is a fraught renegotiation of gender roles within the household, wherein men attempt to reassert their masculinity and dominance in the gender hierarchy through violence. By engaging in a nuanced place-based analysis, our study explains how food insecurity in subsistence farming contexts intersects with masculinities to reproduce inequality and violence against women within the household.

Socioeconomic determinants of the creation of farm business by youth in north-western Benin

The high potentials of the agricultural sector in terms of income and jobs in Benin contrasts with unemployment among youth. Thus, this study investigated the socioeconomic factors determining the creation of farm business by youth in the northwest of Benin. Based on a random sample of 198 young farmers and with the criteria of labor and market dependence, a typology of the farms was made. Then, an analysis of the determinants of farm business creation was carried out by using a logistic regression model. The results showed that there are four types of farms in the study area, namely: modern farm business, family farm business, modern family farm and peasant family farm. Whereas “family farm business” is characterized by both a dominance of market dependence and a family labor, the most developed form, the “modern family farm,” is characterized by both a dominance of self-consumption and a hired labor, adopted by few. Based on the market dependence criterion only, those four farming types were re-grouped into two main types: family farm and farm business. Whereas family farm is characterized by a dominance of self-consumption, farm business is market-oriented. From this typology, it emerged that there are more farmers with basic education and basic training in agriculture, belonging to an agricultural association and having land ownership in farm businesses than in family farms. The results also showed that professional training in agriculture and land ownership positively influenced the creation of farm business, whereas, savings, number of family agricultural workers and contact with agricultural extension services negatively influenced it. This suggests that making credit more attractive and developing a new type of coaching to support young entrepreneurs would be more favorable to the emergence of farm businesses. Integrating these results could help to improve the orientation of policies and projects devoted to promoting agricultural entrepreneurship among youth in Benin. Key words: Farmers, Agri-business, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Employment of youth, Farming, Determinants, Benin

Traditional breeding of small ruminants in the North-West of Benin: practices and inventory of food resources

The northern part of Benin is a favourite area for ruminant breeding in view of its pastoral resources and the many other assets it has at its disposal. The objectives of this study were (i) to characterize small ruminants rearing practices in north-western Benin, (ii) to assess factors that affect the described practices (iii) and to inventory the feed resources used in the ruminant breeding. To achieve these objectives, a retrospective survey was carried out in four municipalities located at north-west Benin. The results showed that sheep and goats are mostly raised by men (94.93%). Digestive disorders (90.41%) are the main diseases encountered. The results of linear regression analysis showed that sociocultural group and education level of the respondents have a significant influence on the mode of management and the practice of castration of small ruminants. Feeding was based on fodder from natural rangelands, notably Rottboellia cochinchinensis and Adenodolichos paniculatus. These fodders content respectively, 17.71% and 20.4% of Total Nitrogen Matter (TNM). Breeders used crop residues, notably legume tops, food processing residues and fodder trees during the lean season. In view of this multitude of food resources, possibilities for improving the existing small ruminants breeding system are proposed.

Association between poor food production and intimate partner violence among smallholder farmers in northwestern Benin

ABSTRACT Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) remain concerningly high in Benin, particularly in the predominantly rural region of Atacora in the northwest. In the context of increasing food insecurity, concerns have been raised regarding the role that lack of food in the household may be playing in increasing the rate of IPV in this context. This study aims to investigate the association between household food production and IPV in Atacora, Benin. Using a social ecological model and drawing from family stress theory, we analysed data from a cross-sectional survey of 300 women in the study region. Logistic regression and sequential modelling results show that after controlling for individual, household and community level factors, insufficient food production is positively associated with women’s likelihood of experiencing physical (adjusted OR=6.50 [2.48, 17.04], p < .01) and sexual violence (adjusted OR=4.49 [1.68, 11.99], p < .01). We conclude that production-oriented interventions in rural farming communities may reduce women’s risk of IPV by increasing households’ access to food and reducing family stress. Long term interventions would do well to focus on improving women’s access to land and building capacity in the management of marital conflict without violence.

Community perceptions of gendered alcohol misuse in a food insecure context: The case of northwestern Benin

In many sub-Saharan African countries there have been concerns about the varied effects of increasing rates of alcohol consumption and misuse. These concerns have led to the need for research on the relationship between alcohol misuse and food insecurity in agrarian contexts where alcohol consumption is rising. We present the findings of a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews and focus groups with men and women, which explores the connection between alcohol misuse and food insecurity in the Atacora region of Benin. Our findings show that farmers are misusing alcohol as a response to hunger and distress resulting from persistent food insecurity. These drinking behaviours are gendered and shaped by the rigid division of labour roles, wherein primarily men are misusing alcohol. The misuse of alcohol subsequently undermines farm labour and diverts household resources, further worsening food insecurity. Importantly, women reported that alcohol misuse as a coping response to food insecurity contributes to intimate partner violence. Given this complex cyclical relationship, food relief policy-makers in Benin must consider the intersection of alcohol misuse and intimate partner violence when implementing policy and programs intended to improve food security.

English

Alibori River located in northwestern Benin is subject to contamination by trace metal elements (TME: Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd) due to the use of agricultural inputs in its vicinity. This study focuses on the speciation of TME elements in the sediments of this river. The sediments were sampled during the rainy and dry seasons, dried, crushed and then sieved. The sediments were then mineralized and subjected to sequential fractionation. The total extraction and sequential extractions were analyzed using a spectrophotometer UV. The sediments of Alibori River had an acid pH and were contaminated by TME during the dry season. The zinc and copper had an affinity with the different fractions with a high proportion in the fractions F1 and F2 during the rainy season and a high proportion in the F5 fraction during the dry season. The lead and cadmium had an affinity with the F5 fraction during the rainy season, and the F3 and F4 fractions during the dry season. The calculated contamination index, individual contamination factor and risk assessment code (RAC) demonstrated that the river presented a potential risk of water contamination. The aforementioned parameters also showed that the river induced risk of bioavailability ranging from medium to very high for organisms. The TMEs found in the sediments of the Alibori River were linked to the exchangeable and acid-soluble fractions which made them more mobile and bioavailable to organisms. &nbsp; Key words: Speciation, Alibori River, trace metal elements (TME), bioavailability, fraction.

Complementation Test of Draft Oxen in Dry Season with Harvest Residues in the Cotton Zone in Northwestern Benin

Complementation Test of Draft Oxen in Dry Season with Harvest Residues in the Cotton Zone in Northwestern Benin

Red Chalk Palimpsest: The Logic of Somba Landscape

This article presents the results of a study on the traditional settlement patterns of the Somba people, living in the department of Atacora, north-western Benin. Adopting a methodology based on both a generative approach and André Corboz’s (1983) territory–palimpsest analogy, the study specifically questions the ‘dispersed’ character of the Somba habitat. Built upon two hypotheses, according to which Tatas Somba settle approximately to pre-existing Tatas and near to watercourses, this study seeks to understand the reasons and conditions of this dispersal throughout history. By cross-checking on-site inventory and geographic information system data allowing to analyse the distances between Tatas, archaeological sites and nearby watercourses, and thus revealing the permanent, the persistent, and the disappeared landscape elements, this article aims to prove that the settlement of the Tatas Somba is not determined by geometrical compositions, landmarks, or infrastructures, but rather by a combination of social, agricultural, environmental, and subsistence factors.

Geology and Geochemistry of the Chromiferous Mineralization in the External Zone of the Pan-African Dahomeyides Belt, Northwestern Benin (Gulf of Guinea, West Africa)

Occurrences of chromium mineral exist in Bénin within the external nappes of the Pan-African Dahomeyides belt. These chromite deposits are podiform types and hosted in the serpentinite. Blackish color, the chromite appears under microscope in transmitted light, as cracked phenocrystals with tangles of the serpentinite venules. Chemical analyses using X-ray fluorescence spectrometer showed the chromite ore consists of about 38% Cr2O3 and total (Cr2O3 + Al2O3) is 60%. This chromiferous mineralisation resulted from the magmatic cumulates formation by fractional crystallization of an ultramafic magma.

Traditional ecological knowledge-based assessment of threatened woody species and their potential substitutes in the Atakora mountain chain, a threatened hotspot of biodiversity in Northwestern Benin, West Africa

BackgroundAtakora mountains in Benin are a unique but fragile ecosystem, harboring many endemic plant species. The ecosystem is undergoing degradation, and the woody vegetation is dramatically declining due to high anthropogenic actions and recurrent drought. This study aimed to (i) assess the diversity of threatened woody species and (ii) identify their potential substitutes in the three regions of the Atakora mountains namely East Atakora, Central Atakora, and West Atakora.MethodsThe data were collected during expeditions on surveyed localities through semi-structured individual interviews. Free-listing was used to record threatened woody species and which were important and why. Alpha-diversity indices were used to assess diversity of threatened and important threatened woody species. A correspondence analysis was used to determine the reason supporting their importance. Differences in species composition were assessed using analysis of similarities. A number of potential substitutes were compared among species using generalized linear models.ResultsA total of 117 woody species (37 families and 92 genera) were identified. The most prominent families were Fabaceae (19.66%), Combretaceae (12.82%), and Moraceae (10.26%), and the richest genera were Ficus (10 species), Combretum (6), and Terminalia (5). Most threatened species differed across regions (East Atakora, Central Atakora, and West Atakora) and included Afzelia africana, Anogeissus leiocarpa, Borassus aethiopum, Diospyros mespiliformis, Khaya senegalensis, Milicia excelsa, and Pterocarpus erinaceus. Most socio-economically important species (K. senegalensis, Parkia biglobosa, Vitellaria paradoxa, and V. doniana) were used mainly for food, timber, and fuelwood purposes. Old and adult people, and Dendi and Fulfulde sociolinguistic groups had greater knowledge of threatened woody plant species. High intercultural differentiations in species composition were detected between Bariba-Berba and Bariba-Natimba. Knowledge of substitutes also differed across regions with P. erinaceus, Isoberlinia spp., and A. africana being the most cited substitutes.ConclusionBasic data was provided here to inform decision and guide efficient management of woody resources. There was evidence that immediate conservation measures are required for some high economic value woody taxa which were critically threatened. Ex-situ conservation of these species while promoting their integration into agroforestry-based systems were recommended. Besides, community-based management programs and community-led initiatives involving knowledgeable people from different horizons will lead to a long-lasting conservation of these threatened resources.

Flow Pattern and Residence Time of Groundwater within Volta River Basin in Benin (Northwestern Benin)

The knowledge about groundwater flow conditions within Volta river basin in Benin, has restricted information coming to piezometry, water storage time, water path, and water quality. A good groundwater resources assessment of this sudano-sahelian area, is a huge condition for the sustainable management of water resources, which since the part of the 20th century is facing a severe drought that leads to a greater aridity. This article provides a summary with the main elements of carbon isotope (13C and 14C) as well as tritium (3H) coupled with hydrogeological and hydrochemical data. The goal is to improve the initial water recharging and the groundwater flow system within the aquifer. Two main results can be produced from the groundwater chemistry. First, the interactions between groundwater and clay minerals related to the residence time of groundwater are indicated by a slight evolution of Ca-HCO3 and Ca-Mg-HCO3 to Na-HCO3. Beside that towards water types Cl-NO3 indicates the anthropogenic influence on groundwater, related to agricultural activities and sanitation conditions. The carbon-14 activity measured on the TDIC is between 17.29 and 85.47 pmC. Therefore, it contains some samples covering a wide period of time from now to the Holocene implying a continuous system recharging over time. All the data confirm the assumption of a homogeneous, largely unified aquifer system with a multi-layer structure, but it also points out the low resource sustainability and a strong anthropogenic contamination of the most superficial horizons.

Farmers\u2019 perception of termites in agriculture production and their indigenous utilization in Northwest Benin

BackgroundAlthough termites are considered as agricultural pests, they play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. Therefore, it matters to investigate the farmers’ perception of the impacts of the termites on the agriculture and their indigenous utilization.MethodsA semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 94 farmers through 10 villages of Atacora department, in the northwestern region of Benin, to obtain information for the development of successful strategies of termite management and conservation. Their perceptions on the importance and management of termites along with the indigenous nomenclature and utilization of termite mounds were assessed. Termite species identified by farmers were collected and preserved in 80% alcohol for identification.ResultsEight crops were identified by farmers as susceptible to termites with maize, sorghum, and yam as being the most susceptible. According to farmers, the susceptibility to termites of these crops is due to their high-water content and sweet taste. A total of 27 vernacular names of termites were recorded corresponding to 10 species, Amitermes evuncifer, Macrotermes subhyalinus, and Trinervitermes oeconomus being the most damaging termite species. All the names given to termite species had a meaning. The drought was identified by farmers as the main factor favouring termite attacks. Demolition of termite mounds in the fields was the most commonly reported control method. Salt and other pesticides were commonly used by farmers to protect stored farm products. The lack of effective control methods is the main constraint for termite management. In northwestern Benin, farmers reported different purpose utilizations of termite mounds and termites.ConclusionsThe study has shown that farmers perceived termites as pests of several agricultural crops and apply various indigenous control practices whose efficiency need to be verified. Utilization of termites and termite mound soil as food and medicinal resources underlines the need for a more focused approach to termite control for the conservation of non-pest termite species. The sensitization of farmers on the importance of termites as well as the development of an integrated control method to combat termite pests proved necessary.

Making Meaning Present: Semiotics and the Ontological Life of Stones in West Africa

Semiotics, which is a foundational principle of scientific thought, has also shaped anthropology’s understanding of live stones that serve as shrines in the savannah region of West Africa, such as in the Commune of Cobly of northwestern Benin. Semiotics either reduce live stones and other religious and ontological phenomena to a function of signification or they recast them as semiotic anomalies attributable to the Other. Either way leads to an epistemological paradox in which such phenomena can be rationally understood yet existentially denied. I propose to counter this by introducing a new type of entity, which I call the “onton.” Building on the notion of presence and the anthropology of ontology, I understand ontons as indivisible and non-representational entities that cannot be broken down into different sign components. Ontons are more than meaningful; they are made present in the world when other entities relate to them through the process of presencing that shifts the focus from meaning to action. Presencing, which builds on semiotics, is guided by different practices, which, in turn, can account for ontological diversity and differentiation. I claim that presencing, which allows for ontonic entities, leads to a deeper understanding of ontology and human experience more broadly. Meaning as a basis for communication is thus extended to include presence as a basis for a wider engagement with the world, thereby breaking down difference between humans, animals and things.

Differences in transpiration between a forest and an agroforestry tree species in the Sudanian belt

Average population growth in the African Sudanian belt is 3 % per year. This leads to a significant increase in cultivated areas at the expense of fallows and forests. For centuries, rural populations have been practicing agroforestry dominated by Vitellaria paradoxa parklands. We wanted to know whether agroforestry can improve local rainfall recycling as well as forest. We compared transpiration and its seasonal variations between Vitellaria paradoxa, the dominant species in fallows, and Isoberlinia doka, the dominant species in dry forests in the Sudanian belt. The fallow and dry forest we studied are located in northwestern Benin, where average annual rainfall is 1200 mm. Sap flow density (SFD) was measured by transient thermal dissipation, from which tree transpiration was deduced. Transpiration of five trees per species was estimated by taking into account the radial profile of SFD. The effect of the species and of the season on transpiration was tested with a generalized linear mixed model. Over the three-year study period, daily transpiration of the agroforestry trees, V. paradoxa (diameters 8–38 cm) ranged between 4.4 and 26.8 L day−1 while that of the forest trees, I. doka, (diameters 20–38 cm) ranged from 9.8 to 92.6 L day−1. Daily transpiration of V. paradoxa was significantly lower (15 %) in the dry season than in the rainy season, whereas daily transpiration by I. doka was significantly higher (13 %) in the dry season than in the rainy season. Our results indicate that the woody cover of agroforestry systems is less efficient in recycling local rainfall than forest cover, not only due to lower tree density but also to species composition.

English

Right timing of weed control is one of the most important challenges farmers in North Benin are facing. Weed infestation rates in maize production in the dry savanna zone in Northwestern Benin are often very high causing significant yield losses. The aim of the study was to determine reasons for late weed control in maize, which is the dominating crop in this area. A survey was conducted among 100 representative farmers in Northwestern Benin. Descriptive statistical methods were used to calculate proportion, frequency or mean of socio-economic data assessed. The descriptive analysis aimed to select relevant variables for regression analysis. Regression models were applied to identify reasons for low weed control efficacy in maize. The results revealed that poor weed control in maize often occurred in small family farms with diverse cropping systems. These famers are often in conflict to control weeds in several crops simultaneously. Weeds are mostly removed by hand-hoeing. Due to their economic situation, they have usually no access to hired labor. Maize yields in the surveyed area could be increased if farmers had access to credit services (1), if farmers would get better recommendations of critical periods of weed control (2) and if more efficient weed control methods would be available to suppress weed populations (3). Key words: Manual weeding, critical period of weed control, small producer, crop diversification, credit access facilities.

Integration of Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery for Improving Crop Mapping in Northwestern Benin, West Africa

Crop mapping in West Africa is challenging, due to the unavailability of adequate satellite images (as a result of excessive cloud cover), small agricultural fields and a heterogeneous landscape. To address this challenge, we integrated high spatial resolution multi-temporal optical (RapidEye) and dual polarized (VV/VH) SAR (TerraSAR-X) data to map crops and crop groups in northwestern Benin using the random forest classification algorithm. The overall goal was to ascertain the contribution of the SAR data to crop mapping in the region. A per-pixel classification result was overlaid with vector field boundaries derived from image segmentation, and a crop type was determined for each field based on the modal class within the field. A per-field accuracy assessment was conducted by comparing the final classification result with reference data derived from a field campaign. Results indicate that the integration of RapidEye and TerraSAR-X data improved classification accuracy by 10%–15% over the use of RapidEye only. The VV polarization was found to better discriminate crop types than the VH polarization. The research has shown that if optical and SAR data are available for the whole cropping season, classification accuracies of up to 75% are achievable.

Migration, Social Demands and Environmental Change amongst the Frafra of Northern Ghana and the Biali in Northern Benin

The impacts of environmental change and degradation on human populations, including the possibility of sharp increases in the number of people considered “environmental migrants” have gained considerable attention. Migrating communities may try to distribute their members along particular lines of kinship, gender, marriage and/or services linked to land exploitation and agriculture. This paper explores archives and narratives of African migrants in northwestern Benin and northeastern Ghana. These regions have been marked by severe ecological change and resource deterioration over the years, as well as changes in marital patterns, family relations and customary practices. In the case of Benin, the paper looks at different ethnic groups that migrated from neighboring countries to the study region. It then focuses on the Biali, who undertake marriage journeys after practicing rituals, which are often related to agricultural activities. The Frafra (Ghana), who, in their bid to out-migrate as a livelihood/coping strategy in the advent of environmental deterioration and rainfall variability, are confronted with high bride prices, changing family relations and customary practices. The paper concludes by highlighting socio-cultural changes that ensue in the face of outmigration among different ethnic groups, especially the Biali and Frafra, and the relationship between non-environmental and environmental factors, and mobility strategies.

Comparative analysis of primary repair vs resection and anastomosis, with laparostomy, in management of typhoid intestinal perforation: results of a rural hospital in northwestern Benin

BackgroundThe objective is to compare primary repair vs intestinal resection in cases of intestinal typhoid perforations. In addition, we hypothesised the usefulness of laparostomy for the early diagnosis and treatment of complications.Methods111 patients with acute peritonitis underwent emergency laparotomy: number of perforations, distance of perforations from the ileocaecal valve, and type of surgery performed were recorded. A laparostomy was then created and explored every 48 to 72 hours. The patients were then divided into two groups according to the surgical technique adopted at the initial laparotomy: primary repair (Group A) or intestinal resection with anastomosis (Group B). Clinical data, intraoperative findings, complications and mortality were evaluated and compared for each group.ResultsIn 104/111 patients we found intestinal perforations, multiple in 47.1% of patients. 75 had primary repair (Group A) and 26 had intestinal resection with anastomosis (Group B). Group B patients had more perforations than patients in Group A (p = 0.0001). At laparostomy revision, the incidence of anastomotic dehiscence was greater than that of primary repair dehiscence (p = 0.032). The incidence of new perforations was greater in Group B than in Group A (p = 0.01). Group B correlates with a higher morbility and with a higher number of laparostomy revisions than Group A (p = 0.005).There was no statistical difference in terms of mortality between Group A and Group B. Presence of pus in the abdominal cavity at initial laparotomy correlates with significantly higher mortality (p = 0.0001).ConclusionsResection and anastomosis shows greater morbidity than primary repair. Laparostomy revision makes it possible to rapidly identify new perforations and anastomotic or primary repair dehiscences; although this approach may seem aggressive, the number of operations was greater in patients who had a favourable outcome, and does not correlate with mortality.

The vegetation of lateritic crusts in Northwestern Benin (Atakora region)

Most of the grass savannas on lateritic crusts found in the North-Western of Benin are free of trees and a shrub layer is only sparsely developed. The only constant member of the shrub layer is Terminalia laxiflora. Intermediate constancy show Entada africana and Annona senegalensis. With regard to the herbaceous layer two types can be identified: On very shallow soils (&lt;2 cm) Loudetia togoensis is highly constant and often dominating. The same is true for Andropogon pseudapricus on soils of a little bit more than 2 cm. In those types, Lepidagathis anobrya and Spermacoce filifolia show very high constancy (constancy class V) and Cyanotis lanata and Melliniella micrantha occur with high constancy (IV).